Overview: Azure CLI terminology and support levels
This article explains Azure CLI terminologies. There are syntax components, reference types, and statuses.
Azure CLI syntax components
The Azure CLI syntax is a combination of groups, references, commands, and parameters. Often the full reference command is referred to as command.
| Azure Service | Reference group | Reference subgroup(s) | Command | Full reference command | Parameter Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azure CLI | az config | az config | --local, --output -o | ||
| Azure Network | az network | application-gateway | create | az network application-gateway create | --name, --resource-group, --capacity |
| Azure DevOps | az pipelines | agent | list | az pipelines agent list | --pool-id, --agent-name, --demands |
A reference subgroup can have multiple levels such as az network application-gateway private-link ip-config add
| Reference Group | Subgroup 1 | Subgroup 2 | Subgroup 3 | Command |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| network | application-gateway | private-link | ip-config | add |
See Reference list A to Z for a complete list of reference commands.
What is reference type?
Azure CLI commands are either part of the core Azure CLI service, or they're an extension. Extensions are optional add-ons. The reference type determines the release schedule, status and installation method as described here:
| Term | Core | Extension |
|---|---|---|
| References | Are part of the primary Azure CLI service | Are optional reference commands that must be installed |
| Install | Jointly with the MSI installer | Individually with az extension add |
| Released | On a schedule | As new features or updates become available |
| Status | Can be GA (Generally Available), preview or deprecated | Also can be GA, preview or deprecated |
To get a list of command groups, run az. For a list of extensions, use az extension list-available --output table commands.
# Get list of all command groups
az
# Get list of extensions
az extension list-available --output table
Core
Azure CLI references that have been published as a permanent part of the CLI are called core references. All core references install with the Azure CLI and you can't choose a subset of references. If you run the CLI through Azure Cloud Shell, core references are always up to date.
Extension
Extensions aren't shipped as part of the CLI but run as CLI commands. Some extensions are a permanent part of the Azure CLI, but often, an extension gives you access to preview and experimental commands. A single reference group, such as az iot hub, can have both core and extension commands. Here are two examples:
| Full reference command | Is Core | Is Extension |
|---|---|---|
| az iot hub list | yes | |
| az iot hub job list | yes |
You're prompted to install an extension upon first use. You can also install an extension by running the az extension add command.
You can learn more about extension references including installation and updating in Use extensions with the Azure CLI. See Available extensions for the Azure CLI for a complete list of extension reference commands.
What is reference status?
Regardless of reference type, Azure CLI references fall into three status categories: GA (Generally Available), public preview or deprecated. It's the reference command status (not type) that determines stability.
| GA | Public preview | Deprecated | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stability | Permanent | Can change in response to customer feedback. Is subject to the terms of Microsoft Azure Previews. | Will be removed. |
Note
Warnings indicating public preview or deprecated are part of the Azure CLI command output and should be expected.
Most commands and parameters for a single reference have a single status, but not always. A GA reference that is being built out to offer more commands can have both GA and preview reference commands. As new parameters are added to increase functionality, a single command can also have parameters that fall under different status categories. Here are example references that have different statuses:
| Full reference command | Parameters | Type | GA | Public preview | Deprecated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| az network dns zone list | All | Core | yes | ||
| az network dns zone create | --name, --resource-group, --if-none-match, --parent-name | Core | yes | ||
| --existingParameter5 | Core | yes | |||
| --newParameter6 | Core | yes | |||
| az network vhub list | All | Extension | yes | ||
| az network vhub create | --address-prefix, --name, --resource-group, -vwan, --location, --sku | Extension | yes | ||
| --exsitingParameter7 | Extension | yes | |||
| --newParameter8 | Extension | yes | |||
| az network firewall create | All | Extension | yes |
The above table is only an example and isn't representative of the current reference statuses for az network.
